Episode 155: 20 Tiny habits that help me generate $1million as a Gen X business woman {Summer Remix}
Welcome to episode 155 and the next episode in my summer remix podcast series.
Running a business doesn’t have to be all 5am wake-ups, endless social media posts, and high-pressure launches.
Over the past 6 years, I’ve quietly built a chill, service-based business that has brought in over one million dollars in lifetime revenue.
No complicated funnels. No viral Reels. No fancy productivity hacks. Just a handful of habits that keep me grounded, creative, and in motion.
In this Summer Remix episode of the Ill Communication Podcast, I’m bringing back one of my favourite episodes of all time: 20 Tiny habits that help me generate $1million as a Gen X business woman.
It's fast-paced, fun, and packed with unconventional wisdom you can apply right away (whether you're a fellow Gen Xer or not).
What you’ll learn (and love):
👉 Why I never write from a blank Google Doc
👉 The one habit that helps me stay consistent with my content (hint: you’re reading/listening to it now)
👉 How I stay motivated without hustle culture
👉 A super simple mindset shift that’s been worth more than any expensive mastermind
👉 How I sip my espresso every morning (yes, this matters)
👉 Why I ditched the idea of A+ work for my own marketing
👉 How experimenting leads to actual progress
Here's a sneak peek at a few of my favourite habits:
#1: I get ready for work every day.
Hair, makeup, and non-yoga pants included. It helps me feel like a professional, which makes me show up like one.
#3: I walk in nature.
This is where my best content ideas drop in (not hunched over my keyboard).
#10: I follow the Profit First method.
It’s not sexy, but it’s kept me from freaking out at tax time. (And I recorded a full episode on it if you want to learn more!)
#14: I never start with a blank page.
I use tables, frameworks, and prompts to get going faster (especially when writing copy).
#20: I trust my ideas.
Even the weird ones. Especially the weird ones.
The big takeaway?
Your success isn’t built in one giant leap!
Your success is built in tiny, consistent actions that stack up over time.
These habits aren’t flashy, but they’ve helped me build a flexible, profitable business that fits my life.
That, to me, is true success.
Your turn!
Why not make your own list of habits that help you show up and shine in your business? It’s a powerful reflection — and a great piece of content to share with your audience!Your success is built in tiny, consistent actions that stack up over time.
Check out my favourite tools and resources that support these habits!
Find links to my fave books, office gear and other essentials that support my tiny habits on my resources page: https://www.kimkiel.com/resources
Additional Resources Mentioned:
Episode 92: Stress-free financial management for small businesses with Profit First, featuring April Stroink: https://www.kimkiel.com/podcast-1/stress-free-financial-management-for-small-businesses-with-profit-first-featuring-april-stroink
Episode 5: The Mary Poppins of copy formulas - “Practically perfect in every way” (AIDA): https://www.kimkiel.com/podcast-1/the-mary-poppins-of-copy-formulas-practically-perfect-in-every-way
Episode 13: How to write a compelling sales message without being cheesy or sleazy (P4): https://www.kimkiel.com/podcast-1/how-to-write-a-compelling-sales-message-without-being-cheesy-or-sleazy
Check out Rose Han’s YouTube video - 20 Tiny Habits that made me Rich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff4z3pAqagQ
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[00:00:00] Hello my friend. This is episode 1 55 of the Ill Communication Podcast, and today I'm reaching into my archives to pull out one of my all time favorite episodes, 20 tiny habits that help me generate a million dollars as a Gen X woman in business. It's a fun. Fast-paced episode that will give you some conventional and unconventional wisdom from the habits that helped me generate over a million dollars in lifetime revenue in my tiny boutique copywriting business.
[00:00:32] I did this without complicated funnels, huge ads spent posting endlessly on social media or live launching multiple times a year. The truth is I've built my business in a very slow. Analog and maybe even a bit of a lazy way, but it's grounded in a few fundamental habits that have led to my success. It's a fun episode to record, and it's a fun episode to listen to.
[00:00:58] You might be inspired to pick up a new habit or two, so without further ado, let's get into this summer remix episode. Please enjoy. Okay.
[00:01:10] Welcome to Ill Communication, copywriting Tips and Sales Strategies for Small Business. I'm your host, Kim Kiel. I'm a copy coach, sales strategist, and direct response copywriter. It's my mission to help women leaders and change makers amplify their voices. Through copy. It's why I am dishing out all the juicy tips, writing prompts, and sales formulas to help you generate more leads, book more calls, and get more high value clients on repeat.
[00:01:43] Sounds pretty good. It's time to ditch the overwhelm you might be feeling and find confidence in your copywriting so you can get your message out there and attract more soulmate clients. Let's get started.[00:02:00]
[00:02:02] Hey there, and welcome to this episode of the Ill Communication Podcast. I'm really excited to share this episode with you because I actually saw another content creator who I'll mention towards the end, create an episode like this, and I loved it, so I wanted to do my own take on it and share it with you.
[00:02:19] I am sharing 20 tiny habits that led me to build a successful small business as a copywriter. Now, a lot of gurus will tell you that the secret to small business success is posting five times a day on Instagram or going viral on TikTok, or launching a digital course or having a tiny offer, or having a non-negotiable 5:00 AM morning practice.
[00:02:43] But after running a highly profitable and very chill service-based business that's generated a lifetime revenue over a million dollars in just six years, I can tell you I did none of those things. Instead, I developed a few habits that helped me run a successful chill business that gives me a pretty good work-life balance and a pretty decent monthly salary to boot.
[00:03:09] So here are 20 tiny habits that helped me build a successful small business as a copywriter. Tiny habits Hobbit number one. Super simple. Every day I wake up, shower, get dressed in decent clothes and do my hair and makeup. I've been working remotely since long before the pandemic, and this practice of getting ready for the day as though I'm going off to a place of work helps me show up as a professional in my own business.
[00:03:39] On the days when I don't shower or I put on my yoga pants, I find I just don't have the same serious mindset or approach to the day. So I can say this is truly one of my biggest and tiniest secrets to my success. Tiny habit number two is related to tiny habit number one. But [00:04:00] after I wake up and get dressed and made up for the day, eat, breakfast, yada yada, I go to work in a dedicated office.
[00:04:07] We converted one of the bedrooms in our house into my home office, and I do 90% of my work in there, even though I have a laptop. I rarely work from the kitchen table. Never from the couch. Rarely on a sunny day will I set up on the patio table, and I often don't work from copy shops either. It's because I have two screens and external keyboard and a mouse.
[00:04:32] So when I write from my laptop, I actually find it very limiting. Before we moved into this house, I had a dedicated desk and office space in our living room, which was not perfect, but I needed that dedicated space. I always worked from there. Having that dedicated zone for work keeps me free from distractions and gives me the discipline of working from home.
[00:04:55] I also have a standing desk converter that allows me to sit and stand at the push of a button. I've been using this sit stand converter for the last six years, and I love it. I ordered it from Amazon. It sits on the top of my desk, it holds my laptop, my second monitor, my great keyboard that I love, and a mouse, and I'll link to all my favorite office gear into the show notes in case you're curious.
[00:05:19] Tiny Abbot. Number three is walking in nature. I've noticed that when I'm my most successful, most motivated and creating the best content is when I go for regular, nearly daily walks on my favorite nature trails in the city. These nature walks are very grounding for me, and they help me connect to my higher self or to source.
[00:05:42] It's a tiny habit that actually I realize I've kind of let fall over the last year, so I'm definitely going to be making it a priority going forward. Tiny habit number four, reading. I read business books, copywriting books, nonfiction books, [00:06:00] and even fluffy romantic beachy reads. As a writer and a business owner, I like seeing how others write.
[00:06:07] It inspires me to write differently or try new things. While I love my Kindle, I prefer to have physical books, especially for referring to for marketing business or copywriting principles. I like being able to pick up a physical book and flip to the pages I need for a refresher. I keep three books by my desk side all the time.
[00:06:30] Those books are words that sell the copywriter's handbook and breakthrough advertising. I will drop the links in the show notes to some of these favorite books and other resources I mention in the podcast, so make sure you check that out, tiny Abbot. Number five, I use essential oils to inspire me and help me focus.
[00:06:51] I use a brand called Sage, which is a Canadian brand. I have a diffuser and I use roll on essential oils like quick, steady, peppermint Halo, immune Energy Refresh. And I find they all give me a boost of focus or refreshment when I'm doing deep work. Tiny habit number six. I personally cannot listen to music or have the TV on when I'm working.
[00:07:18] Now, I do keep the radio on in the kitchen, which is further away from my office, so there is a bit of ambient noise. I'm not working in absolute silence like a psycho. Over the years, I've found that whenever I put music on in my office or maybe work in front of the tv, I just get way too distracted and I work much slower.
[00:07:37] So that's a tiny habit that works for me. Tiny habit number seven. I don't book client meetings on Mondays. I use Mondays to get my head in the game. After the weekend, I have a planning meeting with my assistant, Hannah, where we review my to-do list client work and plans for the coming week and month.
[00:07:56] Instead, I generally open up my calendar for meetings on [00:08:00] Thursdays and Fridays. That way I have a good flow of a few days to work, and then I open up my calendar for client or sales calls toward the end of the week. Tiny habit number eight. You know, I love drinking my espresso, but I drink my espresso out of beautiful teacups.
[00:08:19] I have a collection of old teacups from my mom and my mother-in-law, and they bring me so much delight. Every day I pick a pretty teacup to sip my espresso out of. It's a simple little ritual that brings me a spark of joy every day while I'm sitting at my desk and the people on Zoom calls often comment on the tiny little teacups that I'm drinking out of as well.
[00:08:44] Tiny habit number nine is after drinking a couple of espressos, I, of course need to rehydrate and I love my soda stream. Most afternoons when I need a little pick me up, I fill a one liter soda stream and enjoy the sparkling water. I love that. I get hydrated and I get a little sugar free boost in the middle of the afternoon.
[00:09:06] Tiny habit number 10, I follow profit first in my business. Now, this is a habit that may be one of the most important. I worked with my money coach, April Stro to help set up profit First in my business, and each month I allocate my gross revenue into different accounts, profit taxes, owners, pay expenses.
[00:09:30] It's created tremendous peace of mind knowing I'm socking away money into a tax account every month. So I'm never surprised by a huge tax bill. I recorded an episode on Profit First that I'll link to in the show notes if you're not familiar with it. Tiny Habit number 11 related to profit. First is I use a bookkeeper to help me stay organized and on top of my finances.
[00:09:53] 'cause here's the thing, I hate bookkeeping. I would procrastinate the hell out of it if I didn't have a bookkeeper. [00:10:00] So that is a habit. I am never giving up. Tiny habit number 12. I love listening to podcasts, especially in the morning when I'm putting on my makeup or doing my hair or when I'm driving around.
[00:10:12] I like listening to podcasts in the morning, especially if they help me get into a positive growth mindset. And when I'm driving around, I love listening to podcasts that might be about business or marketing, so I'm always learning something new. Also, as a copywriter, listening to my clients podcasts is one of the best ways to figure out how to write in their voice.
[00:10:36] Tanya, my number 13 is having a podcast. This podcast has forced me to create constant, consistent, fresh content every single week. It's been an exercise in discipline that my business really needed. If I didn't have this podcast, I'd probably post very little on social media, so it's been a great anchor for my marketing and my business.
[00:11:01] Tanya ab, about 14. I never write from a blank document. Now, nothing scares me more than staring at a blank page, and maybe you can relate to this. So when I'm writing emails or even a landing page or a website, I'll insert a table into Google Docs with a couple of columns. This somehow creates a visual boundary for my creativity and allows me to start writing a little faster.
[00:11:28] For example, if I'm writing an email, I'll insert a table with two columns and four or five rows. On the left column, I have the different sections. Send date, audience, subject line, preview, text, body copy. In the right column, I write those sections. Just having that simple table framework calms the chaos in my mind and helps me start writing tiny Habit number 15, similar to 14, is I use [00:12:00] frameworks and recipes for writing copy.
[00:12:02] So not only do I have that table to physically put a boundary on the page, but I also use copywriting frameworks, writing prompts, and recipes to organize the message of the body copy. I've shared many of my favorite recipes on this podcast, but I'll direct you to listen to a couple of episodes, particularly the one about copywriting framework, ada, attention, interest, desire, action, and the P four picture Promise proven push.
[00:12:32] I'll put the links in the show notes to those two particular episodes, but there are many, many more prompts and frameworks for you to get hold of as you listen to this podcast, tiny Abbott. Number 16. I really work on maintaining a positive growth mindset where other copywriters and service providers tend to complain a little bit about clients or work or the lack of work.
[00:12:58] I really try to stay focused on what's working rather than what's not working. Of course, I'm human and I have my down moments, but I do believe that my growth mindset and optimism have created and sustained much of the success I've had in my business. Tiny Habit number 17. I am a lifelong learner and I have taken a lot of programs to boost my skill and my mindset.
[00:13:25] I've invested in copywriting training programs as well as personal growth and mindset mastery programs both build my confidence and surround me with people who are smarter and more successful than me, which I know contributes to my own personal and business growth. Tiny Habit number 18. I approach a lot of what I do in business and marketing for my own business as an experiment.
[00:13:51] Launching this podcast was an experiment. Many of the events I host are an experiment. I'm experimenting with different kinds of offers, and I think [00:14:00] positioning these as experiments allows me to move a little faster than I would naturally because if I was so focused on making these activities successful.
[00:14:10] I would be more focused on creating the perfect offer or making sure that all of the ducks were in a row. So that play and experiment helps me get and stay in motion. Tiny habit 19 is for my own business. I aim for B plus, or even B minus work. It's related to the last habit if I aimed for perfection on everything I created for myself.
[00:14:38] I would never put anything out there. I'd spend too much time overthinking, second guessing, perfecting and tweaking, and not enough time taking action. I also know that my B minus work is probably pretty good. I just probably over judge how good my stuff is, and you probably do this too, and putting out B minus work is better than not putting out anything at all.
[00:15:04] Just to be very clear, when I'm writing copy for my clients, I am aiming for a plus, plus, plus. I'm much more meticulous and perfectionist with my client's copy than with my own and tiny habit number 20. I've talked about this before, but I've really learned to trust the ideas and intuitive hits that come to me, both in terms of the strategies and tactics I use with my private clients when I'm writing for them.
[00:15:34] Also with the strategies and tactics I deploy in my own business, when I get an idea for an email or an event or something else, I will trust that idea. It's so easy for me to talk myself out of my own ideas, but when I trust those little idea whispers and intuitive nudges, they've always delivered. So my friend there, you have 20 tiny habits that have helped me grow a [00:16:00] successful service-based business.
[00:16:01] Of course, I don't do all of them all the time, depending on what's going on in life in business. I might prioritize some activities over others, but maybe you'll be inspired to adopt one or two of them yourself. Or maybe it'll remind you of some of your own tiny habits that help you in your business or life, and to appreciate those little things that you do to create success.
[00:16:27] Now, before I go, I wanna shout out my client, rose Han. She created a YouTube video about the 20 tiny habits that made her rich, and that's what inspired me to create this episode, which is in itself a bonus tiny habit. I pay attention to what other marketers and business owners are doing in their business.
[00:16:50] If it inspires me, I take note of it and reinterpret the idea for myself. So consider this your permission slip. If you enjoyed this episode, why don't you turn around and create your own 10, 12, or 20 tiny habits content for your audience? I'll be back next week with a few more writing prompts, a copy recipe or another tip to help you write faster, better, and more effective copy.
[00:17:18] I'll see you then. And that's a wrap on today's episode of Ill Communication. Hey, if you're picking up what I'm putting down, I would. Love if you would leave a rating and a review to let me know and don't forget to follow the show so you never miss out on the tips, prompts, and strategies I share in every episode.
[00:17:41] They're designed to make you an ill communicator too, as always. You can check out all the links and resources from this episode on the webpage. Just head over to kimkiel.com/podcast. I'll chat with you again next [00:18:00] week.
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